Roti, a whole wheat flatbread also known as chapati or phulka, is perfect as a wrap — or alongside a meal, which is how it’s served throughout the Indian subcontinent. Writer and baker Pooja Makhijani, who shares this recipe with us, says, “Like many breads in South Asia, roti are made using unleavened stone-ground whole wheat flour called atta, which is widely available at South Asian grocery stores or online; white whole wheat flour is a good substitute.”
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Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
Add the oil and use your fingers to rub the fat evenly into the flour until fully combined.
Pour hot water into the bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Knead the dough by hand, directly in the bowl, until it's smooth. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes. If the dough feels dry, moisten your hands with warm water and continue kneading. The final dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 32g each), shape each piece into a ball, and cover.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a disk about 6” in diameter. When you’ve rolled out six pieces, heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Keeping the shaped rotis covered, roll out the remaining six.
Dust off any excess flour and place one of the rotis into the hot skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, until bubbles form on the topside, then flip over and cook for another 20 to 30 seconds.
If desired, brush one side of each hot roti with 1/2 tablespoon of ghee as soon as you remove them from the skillet.
To help keep the hot rotis soft, wrap them in a clean dish towel.
Serve immediately. Rotis can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, sandwich each roti between two damp paper towels and microwave on high for 10 seconds.
Tips from our Bakers
For balloon-like roti: After cooking in the skillet, use a pair of tongs to hold each roti directly over a low gas flame for 3 to 5 seconds, until it puffs up.
